Top 5 ‘Must Have’ Stampin’ Up! Crafting Tools

Every maker knows, the right crafting tools makes the job so much easier and enjoyable. If you’ve ever used blunt scissors to cut ribbon, a guillotine that doesn’t cut small pieces or a stamp with an unclear image, you’ll know what I mean. One of the things I love about Stampin’ Up! is the quality of their products. Here are my favourite Stampin’ Up! crafting tools…

My top 5 Stampin’ Up! crafting tools:

#1. The Big Shot!

The Big Shot is an investment tool. It’s the most expensive of the Stampin’ Up! crafting tools we carry (although ask me about cost effective ways of getting one) and I wouldn’t be without it. It can cut up to fifty different materials (including felt, fabric, sticky-backed blackboard paper, cork, chipboard… I could go on) and the variety of dies (the things that cut) are amazing. You can make brooches, bunting, mini albums, 3D items like popcorn containers, milk cartons, the cutest little handbags, envelopes, pop up cards and much more, as well as die cutting flowers and stamped images.

It was something we waited for Stampin’ Up! to bring out over in Europe and it has revolutionised my crafting. (See the bottom of the post for dies…)

A tiny little guide and grid on the right side of the trimmer blade to make it easy to cut the itty bitty pieces.

A choice of centimetres or inches.

A clear grid to help keep your cutting straight.

A plastic cover over the grid and ruler to protect it.

Comes with both cutting and scoring blades. Whoop whoop!

I use it gladly every single time I make something and recommend it whole-heartedly, with one exception, if you’re cutting huge stacks of cards (think wedding invites etc) then I’d recommend a guillotine or something heavy duty. That being said, you won’t want a guillotine for the standard makes after you’ve tried this.

#3. The Stampin’ Scrub and Mist

Ok that’s technically two crafting tools but they go together like tomato and basil, mornings and coffee, movies and popcorn. You can’t have one without the other. So what are they? The Stampin’ Scrub is an awesome, and I think unique, crafting tool to us. It opens out flat and has a washing side and a drying side, as my friend Julie said it’s the ‘cheapest washer-dryer you’ll ever find’. Simply put, it cleans the ink off your stamps and dries them ready for another day or another colour.

You spray the washing side with the mist, stamp your projects and clean the ink off in seconds, dry the stamp on the other side with a quick rub, and then pop the stamp away or use another colour. It’s another tool I use every single time I create and I’d be lost without it. In fact, times I’ve forgotten to take it to a party or class I’ve realised what a gem it is and had to struggle! It’s not pretty to look at but the ooo’s and ahh’s come when you use it. Goodbye toothbrushes and baby wipes, there’s a new kid in town and he wipes the floor with you (or the stamps).

They have a picture of the shape on the front, so no hunting for the right one.

The quality is second to none. I hadn’t realised how badly made punches could be, ours are great and on the rare occasion a fault has occurred or develops, they are replaced.

They speed up crafting no end.

They are easy for children to use, in fact, my children make their Christmas cards with a punch every year.

#5. The Snail Adhesive

We have lots of amazing glues (hello Dimensionals and Fine-Tip Glue Pen!) but the Snail is my favourite!

Pros:

It’s fun and easy to use, even for first timers.

You can refill it so it’s cheaper to use once you have one.

It’s economical, you just need a dash at the top and bottom of a piece of card or paper and it’ll stick forever (don’t waste it on the edges, you don’t need it).

It’ll stick ribbons down.

Cons:

It is blue so don’t use it under vellum (Glue Dots or Fast Fuse for that).

It very very occasionally gets glue build up on the tip (you just pull it off).

I hope these Stampin’ Up! crafting tools are ones you’re enjoying or inspire you to get crafting in a different way. I’ll be back soon with another Top Five. Let me know what you thought of those choices and what your favourites are, I’d love to hear!